Falltastic

Fall is without question one of the best times of year to get outside and run. The air is crisp and clean. The scenery in the upperMidwest is unsurpassed. And we Minnesota people have had an incredible stretch of weather, albeit a bit too dry.

I have three race reports for you in this installment. Two as a participant and one as a volunteer and spectator.




The 2011 Twin Cities Marathon, the 30th Anniversary of the race, was held on Sunday, October 2nd, 2011. It was an amazing weather day with dry conditions predicted, some wind, and high temperatures expecting to climb near 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the forecast did not disappoint.

Congratulations to all those who participated in this year's races. With a special call out to those who ran the Marathon; Sara (her first), Gordy, Milan, John, and Sven. Way to Go!

I'm glad I had the opportunity to volunteer and give back to the racing community. I had two different jobs in my volunteer role this year. The first was timing chip assembly, which was two weeks prior to the race. My shift was from 9:00 - noon and consisted of matching up a timing chip, race bib, sweat bag sticker, and athlete label and then placing them in an envelope along with four safety pins and  a piece of junk mail advertisement. I finished my stack before noon and apparently was a little too efficient. My reward was being reassigned to help someone less efficient. I now know what I don't want to do when I grow up...

My second job was on race morning. I arrived at the Metrodome at 05:45 AM and was assigned to collecting Marathon sweat bags from athletes as they made their way to the start line. Alexandra and I did this job a couple of years ago, so I knew what to expect. After collecting the bags from the athletes, we put them in the correctly numbered bin and then load them on to a semi-truck. The bins were then transported to the finish line to be reunited with their owners. It is amazing how much stuff some people try to fit into this bag...

The good news is that my shift ended as soon as we were done loading the trucks, which gave me plenty of time to make my way out on to the course to cheer on the runners. I positioned myself between mile 21 and 22 just at the bottom of the hill that climbs up to Summit Ave. It's a great spot, runners are typically running on fumes at this point, and I was hoping to provide a little cheering fuel to help get them up that hill! It also provides an amazing view of the Mississippi River far below. With the help of the athlete tracker on my phone, I was able to see and cheer for everyone but Gordy; still not sure how I missed him. Watching and not participating was tough but  fun none the less. The 31st Anniversary race is tentatively on the 2012 schedule.

2011 Run for the Apples

The twentieth "Run for the Apples" was held Saturday, October 22, 2011. With a sunny, chilly start, it would be a great day for another trail run. This would be my fifth time participating in the fall classic; another Frontrunner event which has grown tremendously over the past few years. In 2009 there were 278 finishers, and in 2011 695 would finish the event. The event is held at Pine Tree Apple Orchard located in White Bear Lake, MN. The run is 5 miles and takes the participants through the apple orchard and strawberry and pumpkin patches. With dry conditions continuing into October, the footing was good with the usual ruts, sand, and mowed down corn that you'd expect to find in and around the grounds.

After the race, Charlene and I did a little shopping in the store and bought 3 half pecks of apples which we turned into to pies, apple bars, and applesauce later that day.

This event will remain on my short list for years to come. Randy offers half-price entries to all Frontrunner Events starting on Black Friday and continuing until Cyber Monday. For $12.50, how can you go wrong? The fee includes the event registration, a long sleeve shirt, and some delicious apple orchard treats!



2011 Great Pumpkin Chase

The 2011 Great Pumpkin Chase was held on Saturday, October 29th, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve located in Oakdale, MN. This was my first Great Pumpkin Chase and the last of my 2011 scheduled events. The event consists of two distances, a 10K and a 5K. I signed up for the double event challenge so I got to do them both. They are both trail runs that consist of blacktop, gravel, mowed grass, and dirt. The multi-purpose trails are wide and used for cross country skiing in the winter and  horseback riding, walking, and running the rest of the year. It was dry once again (crazy year for precipitation; extremely wet this spring and dry this fall) and the trail conditions were excellent.

The 10K started at 8:30 AM, temps were cold (26 degrees F when I left the car) with bright sunshine. The 5K started at 10:00 AM with just enough time between the two to get cold and stiff.

Some of the participants dressed in costumes for the upcoming Halloween holiday. I thought the lady in the black and white striped running tights and top with the ball and chain was the best. She carried the ball during the run, She did the 5K, but still!

This is another Frontrunner event and for $12.50 quite the bargain. I plan to be back in 2012.

With no Ironman planned for 2012 and with me still in Ironman denial and withdrawal, stay tuned to find out what's next, if you dare.